Tragic Details About Former GMA Anchor T.J. Holmes

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The following article includes references to mental illness and suicide.

T.J. Holmes was used to discussing topics of interest during his time on "Good Morning America," but he was the one who made headlines in November 2022. As reported by the Daily Mail, the morning news anchor was seen canoodling with his co-host Amy Robach in New York City and had apparently been dating her for six months. While on-set romances are hardly new, Holmes and Robach were married to their respective partners at the time, which caused many a side-eye.

The following January, ABC announced that Holmes and Robach would be leaving "GMA." A network rep stated, "After several productive conversations with Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes, about different options, we all agreed it's best for everyone that they move on from ABC News. We recognize their talent and commitment over the years and are thankful for their contributions," per Variety. Since then, the two have moved on to other projects. However, the road has been far from easy for Holmes, who had also faced difficulties in his life prior to the scandal, including a long private struggle with his mental health. It's just one of the tragedies the former "GMA" anchor has been through over the years.

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T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach's affair was one of the biggest news items of 2022, and they opened up about the aftereffects a year later. In the premiere episode of the "Amy & T.J." podcast, the two revealed a harrowing incident during which Robach thought her boyfriend was dead. She shared that the day after their illicit relationship was made public, Holmes cryptically texted her, "I'm sorry. You were the love of my life." When he didn't answer after multiple phone calls, Robach rushed to his apartment to find him passed out on his bed. Initially fearing that he was dead, she was able to revive him. As Holmes recounted, he had gone home after work and started ingesting copious amounts of liquor and marijuana. "I didn't stop for several hours and took who knows how many weed edibles," he stated.

In a January TikTok video, Holmes told viewers that following the scandal, he went dark on social media and called the aftermath "a year of hell." He added, "I guess going through it, I would call it the worst year of my life." Looking at it with fresh eyes, Holmes shared that he now considers the drama a blessing in disguise and credited Robach for standing by his side.

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Viewers of "Good Morning America" watched T.J. Holmes display his chipper personality when he first joined the show, but they would never have guessed that he was struggling inside. In his podcast, "Amy & T.J.," he revealed that the early days of his career at ABC News were some of the hardest he's gone through. Holmes stated that he was diagnosed with moderately severe depression in 2015, and after joining "GMA3" in 2020, he had thoughts of suicide while also excessively drinking alcohol. During his dark periods, he would walk over five miles from the ABC studio to his house and just roam around in the middle of the night because he didn't want to go home. "I can tell you there's a bench on 14th Street just west of Union Square where I have actually slept at night. I was the best-dressed homeless man you have ever seen in your life," he shared.

Holmes had previously opened up about how he deals with depression on "GMA." The news anchor stated, "I go on lockdown, I disappear, I keep to myself." He also revealed that when he was diagnosed, he didn't talk about it for years and just kept it to himself. However, Holmes eventually started talking to his friends — including Amy Robach — and urged viewers to reach out if they needed help.

If you or anyone you know needs help with mental health or is struggling or in crisis, contact the relevant resources below:

• Call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
• Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org

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T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach may have found love together but it also came with a price. When news of their affair broke out, many were naturally shocked, including the couple's "Good Morning America" crew. "Amy and T.J. have lost a lot of friends who are coworkers over this. They can't talk to them or trust them," a source shared with Us Weekly. The insider went on to say, "Amy and T.J. are sticking together and putting on a united front. They really only have each other right now."

During the June 12 episode of "Amy & T.J.," Robach recalled going to work at "GMA" and receiving support from their colleagues. However, Holmes stated, "Some of it was BS." His co-host agreed by stating that when the scandalized couple and ABC agreed to part ways, everyone from the studio ghosted them. Holmes admitted, "Everybody's trying to hold onto their job. They don't want to be seen as being an ally of the two people that ABC News doesn't like. We get it to a certain degree."

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On October 13, T.J. Holmes concerned fans when he posted pics of himself in the back of an ambulance. "So, this happened. Full story to come..." he wrote on Instagram. His girlfriend Amy Robach shed some light on what happened in her own post and revealed that the two were running the Chicago Marathon when Holmes was unable to complete it just a few miles before the finish line. "If you swipe, you'll see our earlier photos when we were well on our way to 26.2. I'm happy to report T.J. is on the road to recovery now and after 5 months of training, we are both hoping for redemption at NYC's marathon in less than 3 weeks," she explained.

Holmes later told his "Amy & T.J." podcast listeners of the marathon day, "Every single thing that could have gone wrong went wrong." According to him and Robach, they couldn't find their tent, which contained water and food, so they began the race without any fuel. As the miles went by, Holmes, who has had issues with his left Achilles tendon, felt a pull in his right hip. "Now I am compensating by putting more weight and emphasis on the left leg, which is already injured, and that is where everything falls apart," he stated. Ultimately, Holmes had to be carried away in an ambulance, and although he was heartbroken at not completing the race, he revealed that he still had the New York City Marathon to look forward to.

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Every relationship comes with its fair share of issues and one sign T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach's romance might not last is their lack of communication. In an impromptu episode of "Amy & T.J.," they discussed how they handle conflict differently, with Robach accusing Holmes of being "moody" and withdrawn at times. "I get we all have moods and we all wake up differently and we all feel differently based on experiences in life or things that are happening. I just feel like sometimes when you do have, whatever, something serious, something pressure-wise, something significant, you do tend to emotionally and verbally withdraw from me," she told him. Holmes answered, "I have bad days. I have really bad days. And I have days that I, in my head, I need — I wouldn't say space — but I need help and I don't know where to get [it]."

Another issue Holmes and Robach face is dealing with their busy schedules as parents. "We are together all the time, but either we were with the kids or we were working, and we were working a lot, which is great—we love to work. But we didn't get to have, like, us time," Robach stated in an August 29 episode of "Amy & T.J." Holmes agreed, saying, "We might be in an autopilot relationship." He also admitted, "We stopped making our relationship a priority, I think is fair to say."